(Above: The CD single artwork.) The post earlier this week about my time at WJEQ/Macomb, Illinois talked about a lot of the "oh wow" music that the station played. Since I was only at the station for a few months, I don't have a lot of tape to go through. But over the next few … Continue reading Great lost hit: Henry Lee Summer, “Hey Baby” (1989)
WLRA
Songs you hate, then love: The Beach Boys, “Kokomo” (1988)
(Above: Which is the guiltier pleasure - the song or the movie?) If I haven't made it clear enough in earlier posts or by dropping lyrics into text sans citation, I like the Beach Boys. A lot. That's why the revulsion I felt when I first heard "Kokomo" was so troubling. Eventually, though, I came … Continue reading Songs you hate, then love: The Beach Boys, “Kokomo” (1988)
Exploring the pop charts: The Billboard Hot 100 (March 26, 1983)
(Above: Michael Jackson, about to debut the moonwalk on Motown 25, taped 3/25/1983.) The last week in March of 1983 I was looking forward to the end of my freshman year of high school. Baseball fans on the South Side of Chicago were looking forward to opening day, not necessarily realizing that it would become … Continue reading Exploring the pop charts: The Billboard Hot 100 (March 26, 1983)
Hitting the big time: The Isley Brothers, “Shout (Parts 1 and 2)” (1959)
(Above: Rock, brother.) "Dude - you made it!" The first phone call I got on my first shift at WJMK in Chicago - 21 years ago today - was shortly after the start of the first song that I played on the station. It was from my friend Dave. Dave had been there since the … Continue reading Hitting the big time: The Isley Brothers, “Shout (Parts 1 and 2)” (1959)
A Friday night watching MTV Classic’s “I Want My ’80s”
It's a cold Friday night in Michigan. Spring break at GVSU has technically started, but we're too exhausted to do anything more than plop down on an overstuffed couch and relax. There's nothing on television worth a darn (we had Will and Grace on WeTV, but that ended in favor of Marriage Bootcamp and promos … Continue reading A Friday night watching MTV Classic’s “I Want My ’80s”
30 years ago this week: Billboard Hot 100, February 28, 1987
(Above: Whoa-oh, we're halfway there.) Where were you thirty years ago today? New in theaters this week: a quirky film by two guys named the Coen Brothers called Raising Arizona. More people were going to see Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. In the news, Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev proposed a treaty that would eliminate both … Continue reading 30 years ago this week: Billboard Hot 100, February 28, 1987
Mixtape review: “1984”
(Above: Non-Orwellian pop music.) A couple of weeks ago I spent a Saturday night going through boxes of 45s from the 1980s (read about that here and here) to see what sort of musical surprises lay within. On more than one occasion that evening I remarked about a mixtape of songs from in and around … Continue reading Mixtape review: “1984”
Saturday night with a box of records: Part 2, Also The 1980s
(Above, Me, every time I turn on the radio lately.) You get two for the price of one tonight - the next box was also from the 1980s. It's marked Box 3. I skipped Box 1 because it contains all picture sleeves and (I suspect) bigger hits than we'll find here. In the last post … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 2, Also The 1980s
Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
(Above: Charlie Brown gets it.) It's a quiet Saturday night. Mrs. O has plans with some colleagues tonight. My plans involve a frozen pizza, a couple beers, and a box of 45s. Over the years I've amassed a pile of records. Some came from radio stations where I worked (ssh). Some, as I've referred to … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
Checking the charts: Billboard Hot 100, January 7, 1989
(Above: I have this CD. It's wimpier than the Brand X bags in a Hefty ad.) On a snowy Saturday night in Grand Rapids I took a pilgrimage to the local pizza shop to pick up dinner. Since the roads were bad, the drive took about three times as long as usual. I tuned into … Continue reading Checking the charts: Billboard Hot 100, January 7, 1989
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 